Marine boiler regulator



Aug. 10, 1943. w. PRoc'roR MARINE BOILER REGULATOR Filed March 21, 1941 Patented Aug. 10, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to marine boiler regulators and has for its object the provision of a differential regulator suitable for marine work in that it can be adjusted for a chosen speed under a given set of conditions and which may quickly be cleared in case of stoppage as by choking of its opening by a piece of scale, and when cleared may be restored to the original setting in a minimum of time.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a regulator governed by water level in a marine boiler in which the pressure chamber is provided with two independently adjustable now control openings.

In land practice where the water level of the boiler fluctuates but little, some problems that occur on shipboard are unknown, hence in seeking to adapt a land control to marine practice, provision must be made to make use of the average water level and to provide against marine conditions, such as the rolling of the ship, the high pressures that are now standard on shipboard and contamination of the feed water due to various causes, principal of which is leakage in the condensers. It is also desirable to have a steady ow of feed water, this being easily managed in stationary installation but very diicult to achieve when aoat. An important problem which must be met on shipboard is to be able to clear the regulator in a minimum of time when one of the small openings is choked or blocked by an article of contamination, as for example, a piece of scale and when the vregulator is thus cleared it is important to be able to re-set the device in its original position.

The gure shows a diagrammatic illustration of a simple form of regulator. In the drawing the boiler drum is represented by the numeral I to which is secured as by welding a short pipe which may be fastened as by the anges and bolts shown, to the flange I2 of a globe valve I4, having for convenience of setting a micrometer handle I5. To the upper ange I6 of the globe valve is secured the circular ilange I'I of the pipe I8 of suicient size to form a chamber much larger than the opening through the globe valve. To the upper circular :Bange I9 of this pipe casting is secured an angle valve 2U, also with a micrometer handle 2 I, this valve being connected to pipe 22 which leads to the heater or storage tank to conserve the water and the high energy contained therein.

The pipe I8 has a small drilled hole 25 in one side and to this is connected a pipe 26 as by the any desired mechanism for signalling, controlling, or otherwise. The pressure in pipe 26 is governed by the height Of the water in the drum I0, that is, whether water, steam, or a mixture of the two is discharged thru the pressure chamber 33 in pipe casting I8. A sampling pipe 28 is connected as by the threaded engagement 29 with a dutchman secured to the ange of the globe valve III and this sampling pipe extends centrally of the drum either at the center or at lone end, depending upon Whether the drum is set athwart the ship or in a fore and aft position. When the drums are in the latter position it is quite a bit more convenient to install the sampling pipe near the end of the drum but if the drum is set crosswise of the ship it is important that the sampling lpipe shall be near the center of the drum in order that the device may respond to the water line even when the ship has rolled to a considerable degree. In either setting the sampling pipe 28 will extend vertically downward so as to be radial of the boiler and its length preferably is such that its open -end 30 is just below the normal water level. Ordinarily an inch is plenty and the lowest hole 3| is below the normal water level.

When the water level in the drum is quite high, Water without admixture of steam passes through the sampling pipe 28 Which is open at the bottom 30 and may have a chosen number of side holes 3I. The globe vvalve is almost closed, leaving a minute opening and the angle valve 20 is closed to a somewhat less degree, so that the angle valve opening is greater than that of the globe valve. Under these conditions the drop in pressure in the chamber 33 of the pipe casting I8 is at a minimum Whereas if the water level in the boiler is abnormally low, steam only passes through the sampling pipe 28 and this causes a much lower pressure in pipe 26. By having the intake and exit openings, in the valves I4 and 20 respectively, each separately adjustable, it is possible to form precisely the desired area of now control openings under any .given set of conditions and this is very valuable in marine work. Even more valuable at times is the ability to open the globe valve wide in order to clear the regulator of pieces of scales or other obstructions that would interfere with the action of the device, and then, by virtue of the micrometer adjustment of each valve, being able to return the valve setings to their previous positions in a minimum of ime.

It might be noted that the larrangement herein ydescribed gives a continuous blow-down, that welding illustrated at 21. yPipe 26 may lead to 55 is the sampling pipe provides a scumming action ,am ma...

as 1t draws uid from above the normal water line and this contains most of the scum.

WhatI claim is:

1. In combination, a sampling pipe adapted to extend radially and vertically into a marine boiler to a point just below the normal water level, a passage leading from the pipe and including a ow chamber having -a throttling valve at each end thereof, and a control opening in said chamber between the valves -for connection to a suitable control device, whereby lthe device is governed by changes in the water level of the boiler as reflected by change in pressure dierential between the two throttling valves because of changes in the wetness of the steam passing through the chamber.

2. In a. regulator for installation in a ship directly above the drum of it-s marine boiler: a ilow chamber for the passage of fluid under pressure lfrom said drum, which fluid may vary from all liquid to all gas through the various mixture stages, said chamber having yan entrance orifice, a, control orifice, and an exit orice, means extending vertically downwardly from the regulator below the entrance orifice to va. point below the normal water level in the drum `and positioned centrally of the drum when the ship is level, whereby the pressure at the control orice of the regulator may respond to the water line in the drum even when the ship has rolled to a considerable degree, and manually operated means for altering the effective opening of the entrance orifice while fluid is passing through the flow chamber, whereby to regulate the depression of g e A 

